MONROE, La. – ULM (18-15, 9-9), which tied for sixth in the final Sun Belt standings and advanced to the conference tournament quarterfinals, has accepted an invitation to play in the 2019 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. The Warhawks will play host to a CIT first-round game in Fant-Ewing Coliseum, with the opponent and date to be determined.

ULM is making its 13th postseason appearance in program history. It marks the Warhawks' fourth trip to postseason play in the last five years, including their third appearance in the CIT (2016 at Furman and 2018 at Austin Peay).

"We're excited about having an opportunity to continue our season in the CIT," ULM head coach Keith Richard said. "Opening with a home game is extra special. Our players didn't want the season to end in New Orleans, so they're looking forward to making a run in the postseason.

"The atmosphere in Fant-Ewing Coliseum has been electric at times this season. We're being provided with this opportunity to play a CIT postseason game at home largely because of the way our fans have turned out this season. Our student attendance has been strong all season long, and I'm biased, but I believe our pep band, cheerleaders and dance team are the best in the Sun Belt.

"Our players definitely feed off our crowd's energy, so I hope our students and fans fill Fant-Ewing Coliseum later this week."

ULM ranks among the NCAA Division I Top 20 in three different statistical categories: fifth in free-throw percentage (.792), seventh in 3-point field-goal percentage (.395) and 18th in 3-point field goals made (10.0 per game). The Warhawks' 78.3 scoring average is the program's highest in 19 years (since averaging 78.4 ppg. in 1999-2000). In addition, ULM has shattered the school single-season record with 330 3-pointers made, breaking the previous mark set last year (288 made in 2017-18).

The Warhawks are 13-2 in Fant-Ewing Coliseum this season, including an 89-80 victory over Appalachian State in the first round of the Sun Belt Championship, while averaging nearly 85 points per game. ULM has trailed for just 83:29 out of a possible 600 minutes at home this season.

ULM's starting lineup features four double-figure scorers, in 6-foot-1 guard Daishon Smith (21.2 points, 104 3-pointers), 6-2 guard Michael Ertel (15.3 ppg., 76 3-pointers), 6-6 forward Travis Munnings (14.6 ppg., 7.7 rpg.) and 6-4 guard JD Williams (12.3 ppg.).

Smith, an All-Sun Belt First-Team selection and conference Newcomer of the Year, is the only player in NCAA Division I who is averaging at least 20.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game this season (research: Sports Reference CBB). His 104 3-pointers are the second-highest single-season total in ULM history (school record: 115 by Paul Marshall, 1995-96).

Ertel, a third-team All-Sun Belt selection, ranks second on the team in scoring, 3-point field goals made and assists (93).

Earlier this season, Munnings became just the fourth player in school history to score at least 1,000 career points and collect at least 800 career records. He is listed among ULM's all-time Top 10 in scoring (sixth with 1,672 career points) and rebounding (fifth with 937). With his start against Georgia Southern in the Sun Belt Championship quarterfinals, Munnings tied former guard Nick Coppola (2013-17) for the most games played in a Warhawk uniform (132).

ULM nearly doubled its average home attendance (increased 47 percent) from a year ago, ranking third in the Sun Belt in both overall average home attendance (3,003 per game) and third in average attendance for league home games (3,602 per game; up 53 percent).

Tickets for ULM's upcoming CIT first-round game are priced at $25 for courtside, $12 for reserved seats, $10 for faculty/staff reserved seats, $8 for general admission and $5 for ULM students and youth (18 and under). CIT tickets will go on sale tonight at 6 p.m. on ULMWarhawks.com.

Good for ULM. I thought we might be in CIT/CBI but from comments from Byington yesterday about the season being over I not sure

Congrats. Go take it!

$5 for students? This will hurt student attendance big time

(03-17-2019 04:26 PM)debragga Wrote:  $5 for students? This will hurt student attendance big time

When you pay to play, you gotta make up some revenue somewhere.

I guess we will know the fields for the NIT CBI and CIT later tonight

(03-17-2019 04:04 PM)GaSoEagle Wrote:  Good for ULM. I thought we might be in CIT/CBI but from comments from Byington yesterday about the season being over I not sure

Y'all are a very good team that could do some damage in either tournament. Why wouldn't you take an invite. Get the players a little payoff for the hard work and also get the feel of playing in a tournament (other than conference mates)?

I think we have the opportunity but our administration doesn t seem interested if it is not NIT. Byington clearly seemed to indicate we were done after yesterday s loss

I wonder who else could get an invitation to CIT or CBI. GaSo certainly deserves a look, as do TxSt, UL and maybe, UTA. Texas State would be very attractive as a host, given their great attendance this year.

Good luck, 'Hawks. Give 'em He double hockeysticks.

Nice to have had really good crowds this year where we can host. We are way better at home.

Coastal is hosting Brown in 1st round of CBI so it looks like 4 Belt teams in postseason

The 2019 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. All Times EST

NOTE: Top 4 seeds will get a bye after first round

First Round

MONDAY, MARCH 17
Quinnipiac (16-14) vs. NJIT (21-12) 7:00 pm

TUESDAY, MARCH 18
Cornell (15-15) vs. Robert Morris (17-16) 7:00 pm
Texas Southern (21-13) vs. New Orleans (19-13) 8:00 pm

Jim Phelan Classic
IUPUI (16-16) vs. Marshall (19-14) 7:00 pm

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19
Grambling (17-16) vs. UT Rio Grande Valley (19-16) 8:00 pm
Presbyterian (18-15) vs. Seattle (18-14)

Hugh Durham Classic
Green Bay (17-16) vs. ETSU (24-9) 7:00 pm

THURSDAY, MARCH 21
FAU (17-15) vs. Charleston Southern (17-15)

Coach John McLendon Classic
Saint Francis Brooklyn (17-15) vs. Hampton (16-17) 7:00 pm

Riley Wallace Classic
CSU Bakersfield (16-15) vs. Cal State Fullerton (16-17) 10:00 pm

Lou Henson Classic
Kent State (22-10) vs. ULM (18-15) 8:00 pm

FRIDAY, MARCH 22
Drake (24-9) vs. Southern Utah (16-16)
SATURDAY, MARCH 23
FIU (19-13) vs. Texas State (24-9) 7:00 pm

Second Round

Quarterfinals
March 27-31


Semifinals
April 2


Championship
April 4

ETSU is probably the favorite. It would be nice to redeem ourselves against Drake.

(03-18-2019 09:00 AM)bokobobcat1919 Wrote:  ETSU is probably the favorite. It would be nice to redeem ourselves against Drake.

Yeah, but how ‘bout we just worry about getting past FIU FIRST. We ain’t exactly been stellar coming down the stretch.

Obviously.

I was just commenting on the slate of participants and fortunately, my commentary will likely have zero impact on the focus of the team.

That being said, every team in the CIT has under perfomed by some metric.

26 teams. The last two times this tourney had 26 teams (2016 and 2017) 2nd round byes were given to the 3 top remaining teams in the Pomeroy ratings.

Top 6 rated in Pomeroy in the field:
1. ETSU
2. TXST
3. Drake
4. ULM
5. Kent State
6. Charleston Southern

Kent State is going to be a tough game... they could just as easily be in the NIT with some of the wins and record they have.

I agree. Kent St. is a tough draw. Heard Bruno didn’t want to play Grambling and why I don’t know. Would have been even bigger crowd and a lot easier chance at winning.

(03-18-2019 09:48 AM)bokobobcat1919 Wrote:  Obviously.

I was just commenting on the slate of participants and fortunately, my commentary will likely have zero impact on the focus of the team.

That being said, every team in the CIT has under perfomed by some metric.

As you stated, obviously . . . neither your commentary, nor my commentary will have an impact on team focus.

It's been a funny season, exceptional for us, and it's raised "our fan base expectations" to early unrealistic levels.

For example: speculating way too early about NCAA seeding, projecting ourselves as Regular season Champs before we'd clinched anything, speculating about our being a 1 or 2 seed in the Conference Tournament, again before we'd clinched anything. At the time of speculation, it might have been legit. But we failed to make any of it happen, ending the season with a whimper.

If you feel the need to speculate, by all means, speculate away. Considering how the season began, ran, and ended (with a thud). I'd like us to just focus on the task at hand. Take care of that, and the other stuff will take care of itself.

We don't seem to do so well when we get too far ahead of ourselves. We have a good team, but it's a team that needs to learn how to Finish.